During my visit to Sadahana Forest, I was told that one of the major causes of infant mortality in the thirld world is mothers holding their children while they cook over wood fires. The infant is chronically exposed to the smoke breathing it in for long periods. Wonderfully, I was told, there is a solution. This is a stove built with bricks that insulate the fire and increases the heat. The smoke does not surround the baby.
The insulated wood burning stove
The other advantage is that it reduces wood use. This is imporant given the degree to which deforestation occurs in some patrs of the third world.
One drawback is that the stove costs R2000 or $46 CDN. To us that does not seem like a lot of money but to people here that is a lot - patricularly for those who are living close to poverty or below it. These are the people who are most affected by the smoke as they can only cook in these open ways.
Might be a good NGO project.
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